Voting-machine.



N0. 66I,83|. Patented Nov. l3; I900. J. B. WEIGAND.

VOTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 2. 1899.,

2 SheetsSheet l.

m: Noams Farms ca, F'HOTO-LIYHQ, msuwsmw, n. c. 1

No. 66I,83l. Patented Nov. I3, I900. J. B. WEIGAND. VOTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 2. 1899,;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No- Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

JOHN BERNHAR'I WEIGAND, OF ATHENS, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- EIGHTH TOFERDINAND A. STRIIPP, OF SAME PLACE.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,831, dated November13, 1900.

Application filed Au' uamstae leriaINo. 725,892. 'Iloinotlel.)

To (til whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BERNHART \VEI- GAND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Athens, in the county of Marathon and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Thisin vention is an improvement upon the voting-machine shown anddescribed in my prior patent, No. 630,148, dated August 1, 1899, thepresent invention relating more especially to certain improved mechanismfor recording a straight vote, including devices for locking saidmechanism and releasing same, means for preventing the operation of morethan a single push-rod of the aforesaid mechanism, and means forsimultaneously releasing all of the locking devices for the registeringmechanisms of the machine.

The present invention also relates to the provision of simple andeffective devices for conveniently resetting all the registeringmechanisms which record the votes for the candidates for offices, saiddevices resetting each horizontal series of registering mechanisms bythe operation of the shaft. which passes through the digit-wheels.

The invention therefore consists in the particularconst ruction andarrangement of parts to simplify the machine and insure a positiveoperation of the several mechanisms, all as hereinafter fully described,and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in whichlike letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the severalviews, Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a voting-machineconstructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation,partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of one of the drawers ofthe cabinet, illustrating the registering mechanism and locking devicestherefor. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the lockingdevices and means for releasing same. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on theline 5 5 of Fig. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the slides for releasing thelocking devices. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the horizontal andvertical operating-rods and slide for locking the vertical rods. Fig. 8is a detail view of one of the individual operating-rods and slide forlocking said rods. Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the side pieces ofthe cabinet. Fig. 10 is a detail view of tumbling-shaft and sprin Fig.11 is a detail sectional view of the upper end of the operating-rods forrecording a straight ticket and lever for operating said rod.

In carrying out my invention a cabinet is provided to form a closedcompartment A at the lower end, and above this compartment is formed asuitable number of drawer-compartments by means of the side pieces a anda top board ct, and horizontal partition boards or shelves a a verticalpartition a forming a space at one side of the cabinet. Within thedrawer-com partmen ts are located drawers B, which are divided bypartitions 1) into a number of small compartments, each compartmentcontaining a set of registering mechanism and locking devices therefor,and are divided by a partition a. The registering mechanisms and lockingdevices being identically the same in the compartments of each and everydrawer a description of those in one com partmentwill therefore apply toall.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 3 of the drawings, 0 designatesa transverse shaft, which is journaled at its ends in blocks 0, and uponthis shaft are keyed ratchetwheels 0 and O and a gear Wheel G the lattermeshing with a correspoi'iding gearwheel d, loosely mounted on a shaft Dand fast to a digit wheel or drum D, having a peripheral series ofnumerals running from t) to 9 and representing u nits .of the register.Also made fast to the shaft O is a disk 0 having a single projectingtooth 0 which is adapted to turn a toothed wheel d, loosely mounted. onthe shaft D and fast to a digitwheel D representing tens, saiddigit-wheel carrying a gear-wheel d meshing with a gearwheel O,connected to a disk O having a tooth 0 adapted to turn a toothed wheel(i attached to a digitwheel D representing hundreds. The digit-wheel Dcarries a gear wheel d, in mesh with a gearwvheel (1, loose on the shaft0 and fast. to a disk 0 the latter having a tooth c turning a toothedwheel (1, carrying a digitwheel D representing thousands. It will beunderstood that the toothed wheels carrying the digit-wheels each haveten teeth, and by gearing said digitwheels to the disks having a toothadapted to engage the toothed wheels of the next digitwheel the saiddigit-wheels are turned successively or progressively by the turning ofthe first gearwheel being operated by either ratchet-wheel O or the saidgear- Wheel 0 and ratchet-wheels being all fast to the shaft 0, and arethe only wheels that are fast to said shaft. In order to preventaccidental movement of the digit-wheels, the toothed wheels thereof areengaged frictionally by a spring-pawl or dog (V, Fig. 5. The numerals011 the digit-wheels appear through sight-openings b in the front of thedrawers, and in setting said digit-wheels or register ing mechanism bythe devices hereinafter described the zero-mark of each digitwheel isbrought on a line with said sight-openings. These sight-openings arenormally covered by slides E, fitting in dovetailed recesses in theinner sideof the front of the drawers and have openings which areadapted to register with said sight-openings in order that a slightsliding movement of the slides back and forth will open and close thesight-openings. This movement of the slides is imparted by a verticalrod E, located in one side of the cabinet and having projecting pins 6,which engage perforations in said slides. This rod is so steppedorsupported as to have an axial movement, and being connected to all theslides in the manner just described it will when turned open and closeall the sightopenings of the cabinet. The upper end of the rod E has aprojecting handle 6 for convenience in turning the same, and the saidrod may be provided with a suitable lock to prevent a voter operatingit.

The registering mechanisms hereinbefore described are operated throughthe medium of the ratchet-wheels C and C in recording a single vote anda straight ticket. In recording a single vote the ratchet-wheel O isoperated upon by the push-rod F, one being provided for each candidate,the said pushrods being passed through the front of the drawers andthrough the transverse partitions 1), being provided at their outer endwith a button F. Above the ratchet-wheel O the push-rod F is slotted toreceive a gravity-pawlf, having a tailf to limit its downward movement,and said pawl engaging said ratchet-wheel turns it to the extent of onetooth upon each operation of the push-rod. The push-rods are projectedto their normal position by means of a helical springf', connected tothe partition Z) and to the rod, while backward rotation of theratchet-wheel is prevented by a spring-pawl P. The rear end of thepush-rod extends into the rear compartment of the drawer and is engagedby a locking device, hereinafter described, which enters a notch f insaid rod.

It will be here noted that the registering mechanisms of each drawer allrecord votes for a particular office and are operated independently, theoffices being designated in a vertical column at one side of the frontof the cabinet, (see Fig. 1,) while the names of the candidates for theoflices are arranged in a horizontal line therewith, the push-rods beingconveniently located at one side of the names. The candidates are alsodisposed so as to be in vertical columns below headings indicating thepolitical parties to which the candidates belong. Now in order to lockall the registering mechanisms referring to a par- 1 ticular office uponthe operation of any one of said rods a tu mbling-shat't G extendsacross the rear part of the drawer through the partitions b and isprovided with upwardly-projecting pins g, engaged byoutward]y-projecting pins f on the push-rods, the said tumbling-shafthaving rearwardly-tin-ejecting [ingers g, engaging angle-slots IL inpivoted plates H, and are adapted to turn said plates into engagementwith the notchesf in the push-rods. The plates H are held in lockedengagement with the push-rods by flat springs I, attached to the rearwall of the drawer and bearing upon the tumbling-shaft, the latter beingflattened to increase the frictional engagement. Though all of thelocking-plates of any one drawer are brought into engagement with theirpush-rods upon the operation of any one push-rod of that drawer the saidoperated push-rod is not engaged until it returns to its normalposition,the locking-plate bearing against the side of the rod until it is inposition for said plate to enter the notch, and to this end the fingersg are of spring metal to possess the required resiliency. The lockingplates are released by a slide I, mounted in the side piece a of thecabinet, and provided with projecting pinsj, adapted to engage the bentends g of the tumblingshafts, the slide J being operated by a plate orslide J having a transverse movement in the side piece and provided withan inclined slot with which a pin projecting from the slide J, engages.The plate J also operates a second slide, which releases the lockingdevices for the straight-ticket mechanisms hereinafter described.

Having thus described the mechanisms and manner of registering votes forthe several offices separately, I shall now proceed to de scribe devicesby which I provide for voting a straight ticket, through theintervention of which all the registering mechanisms for the candidatesof any political party can be operated by pushing in a single push-rod.To this end a rod K, practically U-shaped in cross-section, extendsvertically through each vertical series of drawers, and pivoted in saidrod are a series of gravity-pawls 7t, which ongage the ratchet-wheels onthe shaft 0 of the registering mechanisms to actuate the shaft in thesame manner as does the ratchetwheel 0, that is operated by theindividual push-rods.

The vertical rods K are operated push-rods M, having buttons M, locatedas shown in Fig. 1, and for this purpose each push-rod M is providedwith cams m, passing through an opening in the upper end of rod K, Fig.11. By this means the operation of a push-rod M acts to depress itsvertical rod -K, and the pawls it, carried by said vertical rod, turnthe ratchet-wheels O and actuate all the registering mechanisms in thevertioal series. In order to look all the registering mechanisms upontheoperation of any one of the puslrrods indicating a straightticket,and thereby prevent a voter from registering a vote for any individualcandidate after voting a straight ticket, the operation of any one ofthe vertical rods K is made to rock all the tumbling-shafts G,hereinbefore mentioned, and thereby look all the pushrods for theindividual tickets. To the accomplishment of thisa vertical rod L islifted by a cam Z on the push-rods M and is provided with projectingpins Z, which engage arms projecting from the tumblingshafts G.Therefore upon an upward movement of the rod L all the tumbling-shaftswill be rocked and will actuate the locking-plates. To also provideagainst an operation'of the push-rods M after an operation of an individual push-rod,slides N are located across the drawers in front of thetransverse partitions b and are provided with projections 91, lo- (ratednormally to one side of notches in the vertical rods K, and said slidesalso provided with notches 01', forming a shoulder with which engagesthe inclined edge of a block f on the underside of each individualpush-rod F. Thus when a rod F is pushed in to register a vote the blockon the under side of said rod will move the slide N, and said slideengaging all of the vertical rods K will lock said rods againstoperation. These slides are all returned to their normal positionsimultaneous with the releasing of the locking devices for theindividual push-rods or keys by the operation of the lever J and plateor slide J To this end aslide N is mounted in the side piece a of thecabinet parallel with the slide J and is provided with a projecting pinn engaging an inclined slot in the slide or plate J so as to be raisedand lowered by the movement of the latter. The slide N is also providedwith a series of lugs 71 having inclined surfaces, the number of lugscorresponding with the number of slides N, and are so positioned withrespect to said slides that normally the upper ends of the inclines areon aline with the slides N. Therefore when a slide N is moved by a keyor push-rod it will be projected against the upper part of the inclineand when the apparatus or machine is set for another voter by theoperation of the lever .l the raising of the slide N will cause theslide or slides N to ride upon the inclined lugs and be returned totheir normal position.

Itis contemplated to operate the lever J by theactofopeningthedoorleading tothe booth in which the voting-machine islocated, and for this purpose a flexible connection or rod j is attachedto the upper end of the lever (see Fig. l) and is suitably attached tothe door. However, it may be desirable to have the apparatus set by aballot-clerk, in which case operating means could be extended out of thebooth to a convenient place for operation.

It will be understood that the locking devices for the individual keysor push-rods, consisting of the tumbling-shafts G and pivoted plates H,will prevent the operation of a second key of a series after one hasbeen pushed in; but as said locking devices do not prevent the operationof two keys at one time I have supplemented the same by devices whichwill remove this objection. These devices consist of slides T, locatedagainst the partition b above the slides N, hereinbefore referred to,and the said slides T are provided at their lower edge with notches t,through which the keys or push-rods F pass, the sides of the latterbeing beveled forwardly, as shown in the drawings, so that when a key ispressed inward it will move the slide to one side and against the otherlevers to prevent movement thereof, the beveled part of the keys orpush-rods being such that only one of said keys can be pushed in at atime and no more. To this end one of the pushrods F is plain at one edgeand beveled at the other, the second push-rod being beveled at bothedges to a less extent than the bevel in the first push-rod, and thethird push-rod is beveled at one edge to the same extent as the first,but on the other side, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The slide Tis provided with openings for the push-rods, and said slide is normallyso located that the ends of the openings are positioned as shown in Fig.8, from which it will be seen that the operation of the first push-roddoes not move the slide at all, that a movement of the second push-rodwill move the slide into the bevel of the first push-rod and prevent thelatter from being operated, and that a movement of the third push-rodwill move the slide into the first and second. Therefore the slide willblock the movement of two push-rods at a time. After one key has beenpushed in it will operate the locking device hereinbefore described andwill of course prevent another key in that series from beingsubsequently operated, and as said slide prevents the operation of morethan one key at a time a voter can cast but a single vote for eachpolitical office.

Now in order to provide for readily and conveniently resetting theregistering mechanisms in the several drawers of the cabinet the shaftsD are extended through one side of each horizontal series of drawers andone end of each shaft is flattened to receive a key for turning saidshafts, and as the digit-wheels and gear-wheels carried thereby are allloosely mounted upon said shaft-s provision is made through the mediumof said shafts for turning the digit-wheels to zero. (See Fig. 5.) Tothis end a collar U is keyed to the shaft at one side of eachdigit-wheel, and in one side of said collar is formed a recessin whichis pivoted a gravity-pawl a, having a tail end that engages a wall ofthe recess to prevent excessive backward movement of the pawl andproject the forward end, the latter being in the path of the pin a onthe side of the digit-wheel or an integral part thereof. The pawl willpermit an operation of the digitwheel by letting the pin pass the pawl,but when the shaft and collar are turned from right to left the pawlwill engage the other side of the pin and the tail of the pawl strikingthe wall of the recess in the collar will cause the pawl to turn thedigit-wheel. It will be understood that the collars are fixed to theshaft so that all the pawls on one shaft will be on a line with eachother, and the pins are so disposed on the digit-wheels that when thepawls engage the pins and the shaft is turned to a certain extent allthe zero-marks of the digit-wheels will be brought on a line with eachother. To prevent a voter from tampering with the resetting mechanism,the key ends of the shafts are covered by a long narrow door IV in theside piece a of the cabinet and said door is securely locked.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the construction and operation of my improved voting-machinewill be readily understood, for supposing a voter wishes to register astraight Democratic ticket the button or key m at the head of the firstpolitical column to the left is pushed in, which will depress thecorresponding rod K, and thereby actuate the registering mechanisms forall the candidates in that column, the said key also lifting the rod L,which operates the locking devices for the individual keys or push-rods.After the voter has left the booth the lever J is operated, which movesthe slide J to release the locking devices, and the machine is then setready to record another vote. Should the next voter desire to register asplit ticket, the operation of the push-rods individually will look onlythe registering mechanisms in the horizontal series of drawers as therods are operated, and the operation of the first individual push-rodwill operate the corresponding slide N, which will lock the verticalrods K, and thereby prevent a subsequent operation of a key or push-rodfor a straight ticket. hould any one attempt to register two votes bypushing in a key for a straight ticket and simultaneously operate a keyfor an individual candidate, the attempt would be frustrated by theslide N, which would become inoperative. After the closing of the ballotthe lever J may be locked by any suitable means, and then by turning therod E the slides E will be moved to uncover the sight-openings and willexpose the votes for each and every candidate, and as the act of votinga straight ticket registers one vote for each individual candidate onsaid ticket there is no figuring required. Registering mechanisms may beprovided for each pushrod which operate the straight ticket in orderthat a record may be kept of the number of straight votes cast.

The mechanisms and parts constituting the apparatus are all constructedwith a view of making the machine as coinpactand simple as possible, andthe arrangement is such that the mechanisms and devices will worksmoothly and easily in order that the operations may be positive and anaccurate record or count of each vote made. It will also be noted thatthe improvements which form the sub ject-matter of this applicationprovide effective means for preventing fraud in registering votes andalso provide for conveniently resetting the registering mechanisms aswell as provide a perfect operation.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, iS

1. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanismsand pushrods operating the same, of vertical rods op erating theregistering mechanisms in vertical series, said rods having notches,slides having projections adapted to engage said 'notches, and meansmoving the slides by the operation of the individual push-rods,substantially as shown and described.

2. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanismsand rods operating the same, of vertical. rods operating the registeringmechanisms in vertical series, slides adapted to engage said verticalrods, and means operating the slides by the operation of the individualpush-rods, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanismsand rods operating the same, of rods operating the registeringmechanisms in vertical series, said rods having notches, slides havingprojections adapted to engage said notches, blocks on the under side ofthe individual pushrods adapted to move said slides, a vertical slidehaving means for returning the firstmentioned slides to their normalposition, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanismsand rods operating the same, of rods operating the registeringmechanisms in vertical series, said rods being U shaped in cross-sectionand carrying gravity-pawls pivoted therein which engage and operate theregistering mechanisms, slides adapted to engage said rods, and meansoperating the slides onthe operation of the individual push-rods,substantially as shown and described.

5. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanismsand individual rods operating the same, of rods operating theregistering mechanisms in vertical series, said rods having notches,slides having projections adapted to engage said notches, blocks on theunder side of the individual push-rods and adapted to move said slides,a vertical slide having inclined lugs for returning the aforesaid slidesto their normal position, a sliding plate having an inclined slot withwhich a pin on the vertical slide engages, and means for operating theslotted plate, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanismsand individual push-rods operating the same, of rockshafts operated bysaid push-rods, pivoted plates operated from the rock-shafts and adaptedto engage the push-rods, said rockshafts having projections at theirends; ver tical rods operating the registering mechanisms in verticalseries, rods operating the rock-shafts upon the operation of thevertical rods, and means operating the aforesaid vertical rods,horizontal slides adapted to engage the vertical rods, and meansoperating said slides on the operation of an individual pushrod;together with slides engaging the rockshafts and horizontal slides toreturn them to their normal position, and means for op erating saidslides, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanismsand rods operating the same, of a horizontal slide for each horizontalseries of operating-rods, said slides having notches or openings throughwhich the rods pass,- and said rods having beveled edges with which theslides engage, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanismsand cabinet having sight-openings on a line With the registeringmechanisms, of slides having openings adapted to register with theopenings in the cabinet, a vertical rod having pins engaging the slides,and means for turning said rod, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN BERNHART WEIGAND.

WVitnesses:

MARGARET RYAN, T. H. RYAN.

